Over the Love
by xXporcelainXx
Summary: After the death of Milah, Hook is left with their daughter, Lillian. A few years later, an old friend comes and takes Lillian away so she can live a life away from the madness of piracy. However, taking her away was just the start to the adventure that would come. At the age of 17, Lillian is trying to find her father. Will she find him? Or will a certain Demon break her first? R
1. It Begins

**Hey everyone! So, a few things to know about this story.**

**1. This takes place after Milah died and before the events of OUAT. **

**2. This is pretty much just to introduce my character, Lillian, and to introduce you to the situation at hand.**

**3. Next chapter takes place when she is older.**

**4. THIS IS A PAN/OC FIC (:**

**5. This is part one of a trilogy I am writing. Part two will take place during seasons 1 and 2 of OUAT, and the third will take place during season 3.**

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Okay, so PLEASE REVIEW! I love reviews!**

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The gentle sway of the waves caused _the Jolly Roger_ to rock side to side as it cut through the blue-green water beneath it. . Seagulls could be seen nesting up in the crows nest and sleeping on the bow of the ship. Captain Killian Jones glared down at the most loyal of his crewmen, Mr. Smee. His jaw clenched as he put his hook down into the wood of the helm of _the Jolly Roger_. The moon shone full and bright in the night sky, and Hook was exhausted as he confronted the man. "Mr. Smee! Would you tell me why, exactly, it is that half of the supplies we just got are now _gone_?" He said through clenched teeth.

Smee gripped his hat in his hands and swallowed quickly. "W-well, Captain –"

Hook shook his head and spoke to him with a threatening tone. "Smee, whatever excuse you have it had better be good. Now we will have to stop at the next port, and honestly we are on a very tight schedule if I do say so myself." He said with narrowed eyes.

Hook watched as the smaller man gripped his hat tightly and stammered over his next words. "O-of course Captain! But you see, a few of the men thought that seeing as we would be gone for a while and that we would be in Never –"

Hook cut him off once more, his eyes flashing dangerously as he glared at Smee. "Don't finish that sentence, Smee. You know what would happen if _she_ heard you."

Smee gulped and nodded his head. "Aye, Captain!" He stammered.

Hook shook his head and stepped away from the helm of the ship. "Mr. Smee, I expect us to be at port no later than noon tomorrow. I am retiring for the night, so I do not want to be bothered unless it is of the utmost importance. Understood?" He said with a tone of finality. He stood tall and straight as he glared at the shorter man.

"Aye, Captain!" He said with more vigor as he moved back down onto deck.

Killian rolled his eyes and called over Errol, one of the more experienced sailors aboard his ship. "Errol, come here mate!" He called to the older tanned, tattooed, and toothless man. Errol had been on the seas since before Killian had been born, and Killian trusted him with his life and his most prized possessions.

"Captain, how can I be of service?" Errol grinned at him. Hook smirked and tapped the helm of the ship with his hook.

"Keep on the helm for tonight; I want to be at port by noon tomorrow. Mr. Smee should be handling everything else." Hook said with a nod in the direction of the small and excited man on the deck.

"Aye, Captain." Errol said as he gripped the helm beneath his hands with a toothless smile.

Killian nodded and groaned as he carried his tired and ragged body below the deck of the Jolly Roger. He removed his scabbard and long leather coat, a sigh escaping him as the soft candlelight of his quarters reached his eyes. He heard a small yawn and smiled a tiny smile to himself as he entered the room. He set his scabbard and coat down on the dark wooden chair that sat in front of a small desk in his personal space.

His bed was pushed in the corner of the room, and across from his was a smaller bed with purple colored blankets on it. Beneath the colorful sheets and blankets was the form of a rather small person.

Killian walked over and sat down on the smaller bed, a gentle smile on his face as he did so. "Decided to try and wait up again?" He questioned as he began to tickle the person beneath the bedding.

A tired giggle could be heard in response as a head peeked up from out of the covers. A little girl about the age of four or five lay in the bed, her long black hair pulled back into a rather messy braid. Her bright blue eyes twinkled up at the Captain and a large smile was on her face. "Daddy!" She giggled as he continued his assault. "No, bad!" She giggled as he tickled her some more.

"Me? Bad?" Hook smirked as he stopped. He placed a kiss on the little girl's forehead with a small grin before lying down beside her in the bed. "Never." He said to her.

The little girl cuddled up to him with a small smile and yawned. "Daddy, can you tell me a story?" She asked him with hopeful eyes.

Hook sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well… I suppose." He stifled a laugh at the pout he got in return. "What kind of story do you want to hear tonight, love?" He asked as he looked down at the girl. "Princesses? Mermaids? What would you like?" He asked with a small smile.

The little girl scrunched her face up in a cute frown as she thought over the question. "Surprise me!" She exclaimed with a large smile.

Killian chuckled and tapped her nose before rolling his eyes. "Once upon a time, there was a fearsome and devilishly handsome pirate –"

"Daddy, I don't want to hear the story about you again!" The girl laughed.

Killian let out a bark of laughter and grinned. "Fine, fine." He began to think about a tale he had once heard long ago, about pirates from another land. "Once upon a time, there was a pirate called Captain Jack Sparrow…"He began to tell his story, sometimes having to pause to think it over before remembering. "And so in the end, Jack Sparrow got the love of his life… His ship."

He heard a snort of laughter and looked down to see his daughter laughing at him. "But Papa, that doesn't make sense!" She exclaimed. "How can someone love a ship?" She questioned.

Killian grabbed the soft stuffed bear that lay beneath her arm causing her to let out a huff. "Well, don't you love Mr. Charles?" He asked her with a smirk and raised brows.

"Well yes –" She began.

"Well… Jack Sparrows Mr. Charles was his ship, love." He said slowly as if to make sure it made sense to him as well.

The little girl furrowed her brow before smiling and nodding. "That makes sense, Daddy!" She yawned at the end, her small hand coming up to cover her mouth.

The Captain smiled and pet her head. "Time for bed, my little flower." He said as he stood and tucked her in. She smiled up at him tiredly and closed her eyes.

"Love you, Papa." She mumbled.

Killian sighed and watched as his daughter fell into a sleep, a sleep filled with dreams of candy and flowers. "Good night my dear sweet Lillian… I love you too." He leaned down, and in a moment of tenderness only shown for his daughter, placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

:-:

Killian awoke to pounding on his door the next morning, causing him to roll over and groan. He got up quickly, anger coming over him as he ran a hand over his face. Strolling over to the door, he threw it open with a sneer on his face. "What the bloody hell is going on?" He growled.

Mr. Smee gulped and looked up at the angry captain. "Captain! We have reached port… But there is something else, Sir." He stammered.

Killian frowned and shook his head. "What, Smee?" He growled impatiently.

"We have made port, Sir. However, there is something else… _She_ is here." He said fearfully. "It's about your plans, Captain." He said.

Killian stared at him blankly before swallowing and nodding his understanding. "Mr. Smee, if you would watch over Lillian for a moment it would be appreciated." He said as he grabbed his coat quickly and put his feet into his boots.

As he stormed up the steps and out onto the sunny deck, he squinted his eyes to adjust to the brightness. He frowned however, when he noticed the tall woman clad in a dark elaborate cloak standing by the helm of the ship.

"Morgana! What a lovely surprise." He said as he attached his hook. He made sure his scabbard was attached and tightened before approaching her.

_He had met Morgana not long after Milah had died, leaving him with Lillian. At first he had no idea what he was doing. One day, he had been sitting upon a barrel trying to get his daughter to eat, when all of a sudden a chuckle caught his attention. _

"_You're doing it wrong…" A sweet voice called to him._

_He looked up and gave a tired and weary smile to the brunette woman._

"_I know… I don't know what to do." He confessed._

_The woman smiled and glided over to him with a gentle look in her eyes. "Here," She said and adjusted the babe within his arms. "You have to hold her like this." She said to him. _

_The baby immediately began to drink from the bottle. Killian gave a startled and joyful laugh. "Thank you…" He trailed off._

"_Morgana. My name is Morgana." She smiled and reached out a hand._

_He grinned and shook the hand she had extended to him. "Killian Jones."_

"Ah, Killian." She gave a sly smile to him. "I have heard you are going to Neverland, and I am quite concerned."

Hook raised an eyebrow before giving a grin. "Any why would that be?" He asked.

The woman smirked before pacing in front of him. "Well, you are going to be in Neverland for a while. What are you going to do with Lillian? Neverland is a dangerous place, Killian." She gave a concerned look. "Not to mention… You are going to be gone for a while. You will not age, and she will not age. Do you want to curse your daughter to being five for the many years to come?" She questioned with a sweet smile.

Killian frowned and thought it over. He had not wanted to take his daughter to Neverland… He did not want that _Devil _to even know that Lillian existed. "What would you have me do?" He spat at the woman. "This crew, this ship…" He stammered. "_I _am the only thing she has. _We _are the only thing she has." He said as he gestured to the ship beneath his feet.

Morgana nodded her head and smiled at him. "This is why I am offering my services, Hook." She said with a compassionate look.

Killian didn't buy it. "And what does that entail?" He asked.

Morgana paced and stopped at the rail of the ship. She stared out at the horizon with a smile plastered on her face. "Well, you leave your daughter with me until she is seventeen. For the next twelve years, I will take care of her and she will know how to take care of herself." She then turned to look at him. "By the time I'm done with her, she'll be able to bring a grown man down to his knees." She snarled with glee.

Hook frowned and glared at her. "Why would I want that?" He asked. He had never wanted Lillian to have to fight. He didn't even want to think of Lillian having to fight. And plus, he didn't want to miss out on her growing up…

"Because, Killian. She would be safe, she would be protected… And to be honest, she is going to need to know how to protect herself with the lifestyle that you lead, and that she is no doubt going to lead." Morgana told him with an airy voice.

The pirate glared down at the deck of the ship and rubbed his hand over his tired blue eyes. He had one thought going through his head over, and over, and _over _again. _"What would Milah do?"_ He questioned himself. _"What would she want for Lillian?"_

He swallowed and looked up at the woman with guilt washing over him. "Deal. You have a deal." He said to her.

:-:

Lillian sat with Mr. Smee at the rail of _the Jolly Roger_, talking excitedly. "Mr. Smee, look over there!" She said as she pointed out towards the never-ending sea. She had spotted a lone seagull that had dived down ever so gracefully from the clouds, its wings just touching the surface of the water as it pulled a silvery fish from the sea. "Can I fly?" She asked as she looked up at him with sparkling blue eyes.

The older man chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Miss Lillian, you can do whatever you want to do if you put your mind to it." He said to her softly. Smee had a soft spot for the little girl, and he couldn't find it in his heart to tell her no.

She sighed dreamily and closed her eyes, spreading her arms out to the sides as a strong gust of wind came over the ship. She felt her hair whip around her and her dress cling to her legs. Opening her eyes, she frowned and furrowed her brows. "It didn't work." She said in her tiny voice.

Smee smiled and crouched down to her level. "Now, you're a Jones missy! Jones' don't give up that easily now, do they?" He prodded her stomach with a pudgy finger, causing her to laugh and shake her head.

"Nope!" She shouted.

Hearing footsteps on the deck, she glanced up to see her father walking towards her with a woman at his side.

Lillian tilted her head to the side and ran to her father with a curious look towards the woman. "Daddy, who's the pretty lady?" She asked. The woman chuckled and smiled at her.

"Charming just like her father, I suppose." The woman said.

Killian laughed and knelt down beside his daughter. "Mini-me, Daddy has to go away for a while…" He said. Lillian pouted and frowned up at him with sad eyes. "Aw, now none of that. Love, this woman is Morgana. She is a very old friend of mine, and she is going to take care of you while I'm gone." He said as he pushed a lock of black hair behind her ear.

The little girl pouted and spoke with a sad voice. "But… Papa!" She yelled. "Why?" She cried.

To anyone watching, it was certainly heartbreaking as the little girl cried and screamed at the wincing pirate.

The Captain thought quickly, trying to think of something to get his little girl to calm down. He felt ashamed at what he was about to do. "Love, Daddy is going to get you a present! It's an extra special surprise for my special girl!" He said with a charming smile. He picked her up and hugged her tight, his eyes stinging as he lied to her.

Lillian pulled back with a smile and then looked at her father's face with a frown. "You look sad. Why are you sad?" She asked.

Killian placed a kiss to her forehead and ran a hand through her soft locks of hair. "I'm not sad, silly! I'm just going to miss my favorite little pirate, that's all." He said with a small grin.

Someone cleared their throat, causing the pirate to look to the woman beside him. "Perhaps it would be best that we get going, yes?" She questioned. She had a feeling that if she let their little chat continue, Killian would change his mind.

"Of course…" He said looking up at her with a stony expression. He looked back down at his daughter and frowned. "Lillian, behave yourself. Listen to Morgana, okay?" He told her with a small smile.

Lillian smiled and nodded up at him, her eyes glistening as she hugged his face. "Love you, Daddy!" She giggled as she hugged him.

He chuckled and hugged her back before placing a kiss on her head. "I love you too, Darling." He handed her over to Morgana with a sad look on his face. The woman accepted her in her arms and began to walk off the ship.

"Behave yourself, Lillian! I'll be home before you know it." He called to her one last time.

Neither father nor daughter knew it would be more than twelve years before they saw each other again… And when they did, they would have both changed a great deal.


	2. Ernie

**Hey guys~! Thanks for the wonderful reviews and all the faves and follows!(: So I really hope you guys like this chapter! I should have more posted within the next few days!**

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!(: I LOVE REVIEWS.**

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"Come on, you can do better than that! Put your back into it." Morgana growled as she avoided the blast of dark purple magic sent her way. She quickly hid behind a tree, her head peeking out to the side to look into the small clearing that had been made their training grounds. She had a sheen of sweat covering her, and she hated to admit it, but she was losing. She gasped for air and hugged her arms around her stomach as she leaned behind the tree. "Lillian are you getting weaker?" She taunted in a baby voice once she caught her breath.

However, she was not talking to a baby or an innocent little girl any more.

Stood at the other side of the clearing was a full grown Lillian Jones. Her raven black hair was pulled back into a loose braid, and her blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she pulled an arrow from the quiver hanging from her back. "Are you out of breath already, Morgana?" She called with a cocky grin on her face. She blew on the arrow in her hand causing an eerie purple glow to come over it. "Guess there is an advantage to knowing magic, huh?" She said to herself under her breath.

She notched the arrow on the bow and stalked quietly towards the tree Morgana had hidden behind. She was as lithe as a jungle cat, and as quick and silent as one too when it came to combat. She smirked when she saw Morgana twisting and turning behind the tree, trying to find any sign of the young woman. She crept forward more, her eyes widening and glinting as she ever so slightly gripped the bow in her hands tighter.

She pursed her lips as she thought about what had happened over the many years she had been with Morgana. After she had been taken by Morgana, she had first been taught how to act like a proper lady. She winced thinking on old memories that plagued her from that time. After she had been groomed and turned into a "fine young lady," she had started her combat training. One day, when she was about ten years old, she had accidently tapped into the magic she did not know she had. Morgana was more than pleased by that…

Lillian gently fingered the small locket hanging from her neck, her eyes hard as she continued to stalk her prey. Her father had sent her things for every birthday until she was fifteen, and the only thing she had gotten that year was a letter saying that he would be there for her on her seventeenth birthday and a gold locket.

Her seventeenth birthday had been four months ago.

Lillian shook her head and smiled stiffly as she turned around the corner of the tree while Morgana was looking the other way.

"Boo." She whispered. The older, graying woman turned with a startled look on her face and screamed as an arrow came speeding towards her. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the pain of the sharp arrow piercing her skin. She waited to feel the burn of her flesh being broken, but it never came. She opened her eyes in confusion, her hands coming up to her chest. Looking down at herself, Morgana realized she was _covered_ head to toe in _pink_ glitter. She detested pink.

Lillian's face was bright red, and her eyes were watering as she tried to hold in her laughter. "Oh yes, there is definitely an advantage to knowing magic!" She said before bursting out into soft peals of laughter.

Morgana grunted before dusting herself off and rolling her eyes. "Oh, grow up already! It's time to stop acting like a child, Lillian." The older woman snapped at her. "Get your things, it's time to go." She snapped at her again.

Lillian scoffed before rolling her eyes at the woman. "Why would I want to grow up? It seems so utterly _boring_ if you ask me." She sighed before turning to look at her guardian. "I want adventure! Not... well not what you have." She huffed at her as she secured the bow and quiver of arrows to her back.

Morgana turned and locked her eyes on the girl. "Listen here, _girl_." She snapped and her body became rigid. "You will not find a husband with that sort of attitude, and I'll be damned if you turn into an old maid." She growled. "Do I make myself clear?"

Lillian pursed her lips before turning to face the woman once more. "I'm seventeen now. My father –" She began to say with anger.

"Isn't coming back, you silly girl!" She shouted. "And you would be daft to think otherwise. It has been four months since your birthday, and he hasn't shown his face once. What makes you think he will be here any time soon?" She spat with wide and angry eyes.

Lillian huffed and turned away from the woman, her whole body shaking with unreleased anger. She was furious, and when she got angry the magic inside her would well up and wait until it could be released, like a caged animal waiting to pounce.

"Oh Morgana, stuff it up your corset!" Lillian huffed under her breath and began to jog ahead of the older woman.

"Lillian Jones, what have I told you about scampering?" Morgana yelled to her as she watched the younger woman jog along the dirt path back to town.

"I'm not scampering, _Mother_." She called back, rolling her eyes as she said so. She hated how Morgana would act like she was her mother. Of course, she supposed she was the closest thing to a mother she had, but the truth was clear. She was not her mother. "I'll see you back at the house." Lillian said. She ran a little faster, not wanting to even hear a response from the woman.

She didn't hate Morgana, but sometimes she hated the things she said and the things she did. She made her feel weak and sometimes even pathetic, and she hated that beyond belief. Lillian wasn't the best at magic, but she knew a good amount of it. She liked to use her magic to distract her opponent and get their attention off of her. Her strong suit was weapons, mostly the bow and arrow. She was decent at throwing knives, but she loved the thrill of the hunt.

Morgana had once told her before that a lady didn't hunt, and a lady didn't show her skill unless forced to. Lillian smirked as she thought about what she had said back to her.

"_Well, I'm not a lady now, am I?" _She had blinked owlishly up at the woman with amusement. _"As you so love to remind me, I am just a foolish girl."_

She shook her head as she neared the small port town she called home in the Enchanted Forest. It was a small town, having no more than one hundred people living there on a regular basis. It smelled strongly of fish and salt water, and yet the nicest of people lived there. Lillian glanced up at the large ships that were at port with a frown on her face. "Three ships in one day?" She questioned to herself as she wiped sweat from her forehead. It had to be the hottest day of the summer so far.

It was unusual for large ships to come to such a small port, especially so many at one time.

She slowed to a stop as she stood in front of a large, decaying building with a sign in the front window saying 'Ernie's Fish Market." She smiled fondly as she read the sign. Ernie was an older man that lived at the port, and he had been running a fish market for the past forty years after he had retired from his career as a sailor. The sign had faded and withered away just like the rest of the building, and hardly anyone ever went in or out. A new fish market had opened up not long before Lillian had taken residence in the town, and it was not good for Ernie's business. But, she went to him every day.

She opened the old and rickety door with a smile on her face. "Ernie?" She called as she stepped into the dark and dank building. There were different displays and sculptures lying around, featuring different fish and other types of sea creatures.

She ran her hand down the spine of a newer model, her eyes narrowing as she observed it with wonder. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was odd to say the least. It only had the tail of whatever type of fish it was, and the tail had to be three to four feet long. The scales were now a dull blue color, and she imagined that they had once been bright and silvery.

"Ah, I see ye found her." She heard a gravelly voice say. She jumped and felt her heart pound against her rib cage.

"Ernie!" She chastised. "You scared me." She laughed.

The old man smiled at her and limped forward as he leaned heavily on his cane. He came to stand beside her and observed the large tail in front of them. "My apologies, young miss." He said as he patted her shoulder with a shaking hand.

She smiled at him and patted his hand. "Don't worry about it." She said before turning to look out of the dusty old window. "It's quite odd, isn't it?" She asked him.

"What be that, young one?" He asked.

She frowned and came forward. "Three large ships here in one day. It's odd." She said to him warily.

The elderly man shrugged and paced forward. "Aye, it is odd." He said lowly. "A young man came by earlier today… He dropped her off asking for me to observe her. Wanted me to find any possible weaknesses in her structure." He said gesturing to the large fish tail.

Lillian furrowed her brow and looked at him oddly. "Her?" She inquired with a frown.

The man let out a jovial laugh and grinned at her. "Ye didn't think that was a fish, now did ye?" He asked her. He hobbled forward and looked down at the mysterious tail with fascination.

"Uh, I suppose not…" She said with embarrassment as she watched the older man. "Well what is it then?" She was curious to know what had the old man so excited.

Ernie's eyes widened and glistened with excitement as he gestured to the unknown specimen before them. "That, lass, is the tail of a mermaid." He said to her.

Lillian frowned and raised an eyebrow at him. "A mermaid?" She questioned. "I thought –"

"They weren't real?" He asked her. "Aye, they are real. They are very real." He shook his head and frowned down at the tail. "Those creatures are a sailors worst nightmare…" He trailed off as he stared at the tail.

"Where did they get it from?" She asked him. It was kind of disgusting in her opinion.

Ernie glanced at her fearfully with dark eyes. "Another land…" He said with a sigh. "A _dangerous_ land." He paced back to the counter of the shop and shook his head with fearful eyes. "Most sailors don't leave that God forsaken land alive, and if they do they are dead soon enough." He let out a series of loud coughs before continuing. "And only one ship has ever left that island with most of the crew and its captain still alive." He told her as he sat down on a wooden stool behind the counter of the old and dusty shop.

She pondered over this. "Why?" She asked.

The man chuckled and shook his head. "Ever the curious one, aren't ye lass?" He laughed causing a small smile to spread across her face. "They say that the captain made a deal with the Devil…" He said with a serious expression. "He does the Devils work, ye see?" He asked as he leaned forward and leaned on his cane. Lillian nodded at him with wonder as she dusted off a wooden figure of a ship. The old man shook his head and frowned. "Whenever ye hear the name Hook, you run the other way…"

The ship slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor with a thud. "Did you just say Hook?" She asked him with wide eyes.

"Aye, I did lass." He studied her curiously. "He's a cruel one, he is… They say he once killed a man for looking at his hook the wrong way." He shook his head with wonder before pausing at her sickened expression. "What's the matter?" He asked her with gentle eyes.

She froze and met his gaze with a stiff smile. "Nothing, I'm fine! I just thought I heard the name before." She lied quickly. "What land was it that you said he frequents?" She asked him with a charming smile.

The old man stared at her with a worried expression on his face. "I didn't say." He cleared his throat and looked at her with narrowed eyes. "It's a land called Neverland." He said to her. "I've only ever heard stories of it, but from what I heard…" He shook his head. "It's not a place to want to go to." He turned to one of the many old wooden shelves behind the counter and shifted through some stacks of parchment. Seeming to find what he was looking for, he handed it to the younger woman with a frown. "That's all the knowledge I have on it." He said to her with a gruff expression.

Looking down at the parchment in her hand, Lillian furrowed her brow. It was an old piece of parchment and it looked as though it had seen many places and many people. There was a small map of what looked like an island, however it seemed as though all that was drawn was the shape of the land mass. Blood stained the upper right hand corner of the parchment, and it was then that she realized that the parchment must have been from one of the many dead men that had made it to Neverland.

"Do you mind if I borrow this?" She asked him hesitantly.

Ernie chuckled and waved her away. "Keep it lass. Yer gonna need it to find yer Da." He said to her with a knowing look. She gaped at him and he winked at her with a secretive smile. "Ye didn't think your Da woulda left ye alone with just that witch to protect ya, did ye?" He cackled at her with a grin.

She swallowed and looked up at him. "But, sir," she began with an irritated look. "I don't even know where to begin to look… How can I get there?" She asked him.

The old man patted her knee and spoke quietly. "Even I don't know how to get there, lass." He continued when he saw the forlorn expression on her face. "But I can send you to someone who can." His face turned grim as he thought about just who he was talking about.

Taking out a piece of fresh parchment, he wrote on it with a shaky hand. "Now, once ye leave and are clear of that witch, say this name." He told her as he handed her the piece of parchment. "Do not say the name until ye are sure ye are ready, do I make myself clear?" He questioned her.

She nodded and grabbed the parchment with sweaty hands. "Why are you helping me?" She asked him quietly.

Ernie smiled a toothy smile at her and spoke softly. "I don't want ye to end up like me, lass. Ye should take the opportunity ye have… Find yer Da." He said and shook his head. "Who knows, ye might find somethin' else along the way." He said with a furrowed brow. He sighed and waved his hand. "Ah don't listen to an old codger like me." He laughed. "Get on yer way now. Leave old Ernie be." He grinned at her.

She laughed and nodded at him. "Thank you, Ernie. This means a lot to me." She said with a serious expression on her face.

He reached forward and pulled at her braid. "Take care of yerself, lass." He watched as she nodded and waved. "Good luck." He called as she exited the shop.

It was only once she was out of the dark shop and out into the sun that she read the name on the piece of parchment.

_Rumplestiltskin._


End file.
